When Westport entrepreneur David Farnworth walked into a Target store four years ago to purchase a new ironing board, he was disappointed. The design options were limited and the boards were bulky, noisy, difficult to fold and unstable.
That”™s when Farnworth realized the ”¦ irony: The ironing board, which was patented by Sarah Boone of New Haven in 1892, is one of the most commonplace household items today, yet it is one of the least technologically advanced tools out there.
Inspired by the idea of revolutionizing the ironing board and possessing a technical background, Farnworth founded his startup last July with his colleague Tony Yao. They named their company Instinctive Works L.L.C.
Their product, an ironing board, or iBoard, reflects a surfing theme.
The boards come in three sizes and designs. They are aqua blue and gray and have either a striped pattern or Hawaiian flower design. The covers are heat resistant and they come with replaceable sleeves.
The feet are made of a three-piece fiber glass plastic, and they also have one-inch thick foam padding designed to be skid and scratch resistant on all surfaces, Farnworth said. The large and round shape of the feet enhances the balance and stability of the ironing board; they are modeled on the round lunar module
landing pads that touched down on the moon.
What”™s different about these ironing boards is the diversity of colors and sizes, the comfort and ease at which the tables can be quietly set up and quickly collapsed and the higher level of stability and convenience compared to traditional boards, Farnworth said.
Sales of iBoards, which hit the Amazon market in April, have been doubling and tripling each week, Farnworth said. Instinctive Works showcases 15 different ironing board products that are currently selling “like hot cakes,” and the company expects to expand to K-Mart, Sears and Bed Bath & Beyond online storefronts this month, he added.
“By the time you choose two different patterns and colors, four replacement covers for the table top, have three different types of boards, design a hanger system in two different colors, you get 15 different products, Farnworth said. “Could we have had more? Yes. But financially, we”™re a small startup business, so we gotta manage our inventory.”
Farnworth said the goal is to capture 10 percent of the national ironing board market. He estimated that on average 7 million ironing boards are sold nationally each year, which generates revenues between $400 and $500 million. This means he wants to eventually sell 700,000 boards a year and earn annual revenues between $25 and $30 million.
“We”™re going to market a lot more aggressively than before,” Farnworth said. “I”™m trying to get our products into Target, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma. I think our products would best suit the retail space at those retailers. We need to get into big stores like Target because a lot of stores look at Target as a barometer for what to sell. That”™s the main thrust of why we want to get into one of these big accounts.”
Farnworth, who came from Great Britain 14 years ago, began his career at Duracell in Connecticut in the world of hearing aids.
He was a problem solver and inventor from the start. For eight years, he was part of a product design team that made it easier for consumers to put tiny batteries inside hearing aids, which could often take hours. Afterward, he managed a brand at Fairfield-based Acme Corp. called Westcott, which specializes in school, craft and home office supplies, where he patented between 30 and 40 products. There he met his future business partner Yao, who is now in Shanghai.
Each morning, Yao calls from China via Skype and updates Farnworth on the manufacturing front. Meanwhile, Farnworth shares about the progress made in marketing the ironing board products and meeting with buyers to get their products in stores. Farnworth also manages a California-based distribution center, which houses all the ironing boards.
“We want to expand globally as well,” Farnworth said. “Tony”™s role is manufacturing, but he wants to get distributors in Asia, and I want to get distributors in Europe, the U.S. and Canada.”
The iBoards are not just hitting the home goods sector of virtual retail store fronts, but the plan is to introduce them to the hotel market, which means coming up with new colors and design concepts that are tailored to a more sophisticated audience, Farnworth said.
“This board right now goes more towards younger generations than older,” Farnworth said. “I couldn”™t see my mother walking into Bed Bath & Beyond and picking up this.”
He added that in his designs, he has ventured into the beige and chocolate color palettes.
Farnworth is the father of an 11-year-old son and daughter who are twins. He said as much as possible, his children provide input on his products that help him move forward.
“My daughter is the head of Instagram marketing,” Farnworth said. “They”™re both creative. The hope is one day they”™ll be involved in the business. I”™ll show them colors and designs, and both have an input in everything. They”™re really excited about it.”
My next stop is Amazon! I thought I was the last “frontier” of ironing. My friends have for years teased my about my ironing and need to have an iron whenever I travel! Thank you for inventing a better board!